Jobs

Research Associate -VTTI

Virginia Tech - Blacksburg, VA(30+ days ago)4.4

The Center for Advanced Automotive Research (CAAR) at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) seeks qualified ambitious researchers with aptitude for investigating and solving complex challenges.

The candidate should be an experienced professional capable of working independently and with interdisciplinary teams to improve transportation safety through cutting-edge research. As a Research Associate, this opening is pursuing applicants that demonstrate experience and skills in transportation safety, human factors, programming, and statistics with an aptitude for developing and executing robust experimental designs.

Research projects range from small test-track experiments using a single next-generation vehicle to large naturalistic studies involving hundreds of vehicles on live roadways. The research often features data acquisition systems to unobtrusively collect various sensor elements with the aim of characterizing the roadway, vehicle, and driver performance. These measures are analyzed to address specific research questions that tend to focus on the characterization of existing transportation problems (e.g. crash causation) and/or the performance/development of advanced vehicle systems (e.g. crash avoidance technology).

This position focuses predominantly on maximizing the safety associated with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, automated vehicles, and Connected vehicles. Applicant should be comfortable working in a hands-on environment with the latest technologies and also exhibit excellent communication skills.

VTTI is a fast-paced working environment with new challenges each day.

Travel to research sites (requirement fluctuates but will generally be <20%)

Research and compose literature reviews.

Compose, review, and critique reports and research plans.

Present research findings

Directions given and received:
Receive instructions from experienced researchers on project objectives, feedback on proposed research plans, and project logistics from principal investigators, project managers and team members. Position requires supervising or coordinating the work of graduate research assistants, technicians, and others who assist in specific assignments.

Required Qualifications:
Master’s degree in fields of Human Factors, Experimental Psychology, or Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Biomedical, Electrical or Computer). Candidates with a lesser degree and significant experience in lieu of master’s degree will also be considered.

The applicant must be comfortable and proficient in an environment where projects have some commonalities with previous projects, but each offering many new challenges to solve.-Demonstrable experience in transportation or related field requiring comparable skillsets

Preference will be given to broadly trained candidates who have grounding and skills in a variety of theoretical, analytical, critical, and methodological approaches to transportation policy and governance.

Prior research experience in a transportation institute is strongly preferred as well as documented success in collaborative activity in transdisciplinary teams.

Employment Conditions: Must have a conviction check: Yes Describe Other: Employment Comments: How to Apply for this Job:
Qualified applicants must electronically submit online application, cover letter, and resume’/CV to jobs.vt.edu, posting # SR0180043. Applicant screening will begin on April 10, 2018 and continue until the position is filled.